Improvement in railway switches



JAMES M. MAXWELL.

Improvement in Railway-Switches. 1 No. 114,583, 'Patented May 9,187];

A M HmTa-ur/mmn/nc m m: murmurs mvcsssj amt $121M JAMES M. MAXWELL, OF WEBSTER, WEST VIRGINIA.

Letters Patent No. 114,583, dated May 9, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN RAILWAY SWITCHES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom it mwy concern Be it known that I, JAMES M. MAXWELL, of Webster, in the county of Taylor and State of West ."irginia, have'invented a new and improved Railroad Switch; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing making a part of this specfication, in which- Figure 1 is a top view, and

Figure 2 is a side elevation.

The invention consists in a wedge connected with one of the rails of one of two intersecting tracks, and

placed between said rail and the adjacent track, and

so arranged that it may belslid forward far enough to afford support to a pivoted vibrating rail when the same is in connection with a track over which a train is running.

Referring to the drawinga indicates a pivoted vibrating rail secured to a metal plate, I), which is jointed to a metal plate, 0, beneath it, the plate 0 being fastened to two of the ties.

The rail a and plate I) are made to vibrate on the plate 0 by means of a pitman, d, connecting one end of the rail with a link, e, that is jointed to a crank, f, on a side-shaft, g, that is operated by a lever, h.

I am aware that there is nothing new in this mechanism for operating the pivoted rail.

Between the rail q of the main track andthe adjacent rail 'i of the side track'there is a wedge, k, which is connected by a pin with a plate, I, on the other side of the rail It, which pin passes through a slot in said rail so as to allow the plate and wedge to slide forward or backward.

The mechanism for effecting this movement consists of a lever, m, pivoted to a block between two of the ties, jointed at one extremity to the under side of the wedge k and at its other extremity to a pitman,

n, which connects the lever on with an arm, 0, of a Y lever, 11, which has its fulcrum in the post B, the same to which the lever h is pivoted.

The sliding of the wedge k and plate I, by means of this apparatus, forward so far as to cause their front ends to inclose the adjacent extremity of the pivoted rail a gives the latter a firm support, and enables it to endure the shock communicated to it by a passing train.

Having thus described my invention,

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In combination with two adjacent converging fixed rails, q i, and a pivoted rail a, the wedge I: and plate I, as described.

Witnesses: JAMESM. MAXWELL.

L. G. S. TALNAKER, W. L. ADAMS. 

